A tireless and devoted cult following has kept the 2010 filmMegamind,starring the vocal talents of Will Ferrell as Megamind himself, Tina Fey as Roxanne Ritchie, and Jonah Hill as Hal or Titan, alive. Peacock has now committed to the task of bringing hilariousMegamindcontent to the small screens in the form of a new TV series!
TitledMegamind’s Guide to Defending Your City, the series will follow Metro City’s supervillain-turned-superhero, as the giant blue-headed protagonist’s brainbots record his tips and city-saving activities, leading Megamind to label himself the world’s first “superhero influencer.”
Despite being over a decade old,Megamindis a top-notch animated film with a sizable fan following. It begs the question, why haven’t we seen moreMegamindsooner? The reasons why a sequel or any subsequent content has been absent from the screens for so long can only be guessed at. That leaves us to merely postulate what we can expect to see from Peacock’s revival of the beloved story.
With that, here is what we hope to see inMegamind’s Guide to Defending Your City.
Social Commentary
The 2010 film pandered to both kids and adults through eloquently paced storytelling and relevant and morally engaging character development. Audiences of all ages can enjoyMegamind’spithy and humorous storytelling about the lost and then found mad scientist who only ever wanted to be loved as he deserved. The movie brilliantly mocks the “cool kids are better than nerds” stereotype by depicting Megamind as forced into the supervillain way of life by his circumstances. This includes his inquisitive and shy disposition and the constant rivalry and bullying of his stronger, more conventionally handsome, and socially apt counterpart, Metroman.
When his parents send him off into space to escape their dying home planet -which is a parody of theSupermanstoryline- Megamind is immediately outdone by Metroman, who was also sent away from a dying planet in a much nicer, more comfortable, and expensive escape pod. Metroman lands in the yard of a wealthy, well-to-do couple who see to his every need lavishly, while Megamind finds himself raised in prison by a few caring but criminally inclined inmates.
Related:Lightyear: Cast, Plot, Release Date, and Everything Else We KnowIn school, he was a good, hard-working student. However, Megamind’s shyness, interest in science, and experiments meant he was constantly put down and humiliated by his peers at the urging of Metroman, the class favorite in all categories. In this setting, Megamind only becomes a “supervillain” because he is leaning into what he has: knowledge of how to be a criminal, how to make trouble, and a reputation as a social outcast.
As a supervillain, Megamind doesn’t damage society other than trying to best Metroman and unanimously lose and constantly kidnaps pro reporter Roxanne Ritchie. She is so over being used as bait in Megamind’s entrapments for Metroman. The kidnapping plot is outdated for our more conscientious sensibilities, though it’s probably not the worst thing that 2010 cinema churned out that year.
The show will relate to current audiences. Deadline reports that theshow will be filmed from the audience’s perspective. It will be as though fans are watching a YouTube or TikTok video recorded by Megamind’s brainbots. It’s unclear how much of the series will be presented in this documentary fashion versus how much in the spirit of the original movie. With that, we are curious to see if more social commentary will be in the Peacock series.
Adult-Friendly Humor
So little has been announced, but althoughit’s been reported as a kids' series, hopefully, the project doesn’t lose the poignant, adult-friendly humor of the original film. This includes any narrative or visual means of watering down everything we love aboutMegamind,such as a lack of a larger moral message and a patronizing format.
Related:Here Are the Most Anticipated Animated Movies of 2022It’s exciting to think about Megamind as a character navigating his new reputation as a superhero through the social media platforms and environments we all know so well. However, not at the cost of the intimate portrayal of a misunderstood softy, who just wanted to both survive and feel special. That is what made fans relate to and love the character so much in the first place. Regardless, it is safe to say that we look forward to Peacock’s rendition of the story and have high hopes for where they choose to steer our favorite giant blue head!
Returning Cast
Fans would love to see Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, and even Brad Pitt return for the series. We also can’t imagine anyone other thanArrested Development’sDavid Crossas the voice of Megamind’s sidekick, Minion. Let’s hope that the project’s revival alone guarantees at leastWill Ferrell’s involvement as the titular character.
Megamind is No Villain
Throughout the film’s events, Megamind discovers that he is not as much of a villain or troublemaker as he thought. When he finally wins control of Metro City over his superhero enemy Metroman, he finds himself dissatisfied with constantly wreaking havoc. He seeks meaning in training a lonely, inept cameraperson to be his new superhero enemy and focusing on a budding romantic relationship with Roxanne Ritchie.
Megamind has a long way to go to undo his previous mistakes, but in the end, he fills Metro City’s empty superhero shoes and becomes the people’s new guardian of hope and justice. Megamind was never really a villain. If anyone in his childhood gave him space to represent good rather than villainy, he never would have turned to a life of crime, and therein lies the brilliance and relevance of the film.
